Girl in Room 20

About to leave her placid hometown of Prairieville, Texas for New York City to seek success, talented singer Daisy Mae Walker is begged by sweetheart, Dunbar Hamilton, to stay and marry him. Though she is in love with Dunbar, Daisy Mae is determined to make enough money to pay for her sister's school and bids farewell to her friends and family. Dunbar is sad to see her go, but takes heart when Daisy's voice teacher reminds him of black singers such as Marion Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne, who rose to fame because of their hard work and musical ability. When Daisy arrives in New York, she takes a taxi to a Mrs. Jones' residence hotel, only to discover that it is now a brothel run by a woman named Mamie Wilson. Taxi driver Joe Phillips takes a paternal interest in the naïve Daisy Mae and delivers her instead to the Crowley Hotel, where many theater people reside. Daisy Mae soon befriends members of Clementine's band and is invited to join their act at their upcoming Congo Club show. During rehearsal for the show, Daisy Mae catches the eye of the club's sleazy owner, Arnold Richardson, who invites her to attend his party at Mamie's Place. Joe follows Daisy Mae to the party and catches Mamie going through Daisy Mae's purse. Concerned for Daisy Mae's welfare in Richardson's hands, Joe telephones Dunbar and instructs him to come rescue his sweetheart. One day, while sitting in a beauty salon, Daisy Mae overhears two women gossiping about Richardson and learns that the newspapers have named her as his mistress. Later, Dunbar and Joe visit Daisy Mae just as a struggle has begun between her and Richardson. During the struggle, Mrs. Richardson enters the room and fires a shot at her husband, but the bullet accidentally strikes Daisy Mae. While Daisy Mae is treated at the Charity Hospital, her friends take up a collection to pay for her medical expenses. Soon after her recovery, Daisy Mae goes to the Crowley Hotel, where she sings for her sweetheart and her friends. To the relief of all the performers, who are now in desperate need of money, a telegram arrives requesting that the troupe perform at the Congo Club. Although the telegram also mentions that the troupe will have to provide its own costumes, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, Dunbar steps forward and offers to pay for them. After the show, Dunbar takes Daisy Mae home to Prairieville as his bride and invites the troupe to join them.